The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-01-29

the idea was to explode it, the tremen-
dous vibration of air starting the slide.
It's a common thing to start slides i'll
that way, and it is often resorted to by
men who have steep mountain sides to
climb or gulches to cross.
well to get along with the story,
Petersen got out in the gulch all right.
banked his shoes, and then placed his
feet in the straps. His next % was
to draw the giant powder from his
bootleg and adjust the cap and fuse.
He did it as leisurely as if preparing to
fire an ordinary blast, and to the fifty
or sixty men who stood below and
watched him, all of whom knew he
was taking a tremendous risk in even
v~enturing into the gulf SC soon after
the storm, it seemed as if he We're try
ing to harrow their feelings.
presently his right arm flew back
ward, and all understood that the race
had begun. In a moment the detona-
ton reached us, and at the same in
slant we saw the sudden movement of
the immense body of snow at the head
of the gulch. Petersen seemed to bein
it, but it was only q delusion. for he
came flying down the gulch with the
velocity Of 4 railroad train. The AVA
lanchc was behind him, and rushing
along with mighty power and speed.
We all realized that if the nan lost a
shoe, or changed his course a hairs
breadth that his doom was sealed. We
stood in brcAthlcss horror as the roar
Ing sound of the mighty avalanche
reached our cars, and we saw the
immense white cloud rolling down with
the fleeing man just before it. BY the
time half the course had been run the
man was still in the lead. Both racer
and raced had been gathering speed
every moment, and the pace was sim
ply tremendous. We all understood
that if he could preserve his equilib-
rum for q few seconds only that his
safety would be insured, and as we
stood with our eyes riveted upon him
it seemed as if he would get through all
right. But u shifting Of the body-a
partial swaying--and we saw he was
riding on one shoe only. We were
mortified, aud our faces blanchcd in
spite OF ourselves, for we believed his
death was certain. In a moment, how
ever, we felt relieved, for he
recovered himself masnificently, and
W. saw that both shoes were do
ing service again. But he had lost
time, and the bic white cloud was upon
him. II was coming with the sound of
heavy thunder, and the dark form OF
the mai stood out iii bold relief before
it, but seemingly hurled along in the
very front of the resistless body. A
terrible rush of wind, binding clouds
Of snow, sounds like enormous waves
beating upon the shore-and all was
over. For a moment we stood awe
stricken, for we were yet uncertain
whether our friend lay buried underline
now peaceful white pillows piled up
upon one side of the ridge or had
found safety in the soft snow upon the
other. There he is,' shouted one ol
the party, and in an instant fifty OF
sixty voices were raised in a great
cheer that echoed and re-echoed along
the mountain sides.
"And there he was, or rather his
legs, and both of them were moving
back and forth i'll very lively fashion
He had taken a header into the snow,
and sunk down almost to his knees.
We got him out in a few minutes, and
and then he explained how it all hap
I pcncd. He said he was rushed up one
side OF the ridge so rapidly hal his
l long shoes did not follow the incline OF
l the other, but shot straight forward.
They left his feet, and he began turn
ing somcrsaul through the ar, present
ly coming down head-foremost, a:
: before described. The leap from thu
l top of the ridge was over fifty feet, bn'
: the now was as soft as a fcather-bed
and he was not harmed in the least.
'Tlc wager was nothing but drinks
: for the crowd, and the saloon-kcepcr .
the town had to set them up. Poo
, Charley was killed just a year later il
the same gulch-a snow-slidc catching
him the following Christmas night
His body was found about the LIST o
! May, 1885, in aperfect state Of prcserva
ton. The boys did all they could TO
l him-gave him u decent BURIAL
Gic09O Tribune.
No Haftnr Than Cfoolipu